[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 1/25/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Dear Tweets,

over thirty of us had a great day of birding at the Refuge with overcast
skies and temperatures in the 40's degree Fahrenheit.  There was a High
15.8ft Tide at 8;37am, so we skipped the Orchard and Access Roads in the
morning and birded them later in the afternoon.

Highlights included LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER in the flooded field south of the
Twin Barns; PEREGRINE FALCON hunting the flooded fields; VIRGINIA RAIL on
the inside of the Twin Barns Loop Trail south of the Twin Barns cut-off,
immature female COOPER'S HAWK eating a CACKLING GOOSE and later having a
killed AMERICAN COOT stolen by two BALD EAGLE; continuing RING-NECKED
PHEASANT between the dike and Twin Barns; great looks at shorebirds LEAST
SANDPIPER and DUNLIN, and EURASIAN WIGEON.  Late arrival birders observed
BARRED OWL along the entrance road.  Some of our group observed Long-tailed
Weasel at the Twin Barns cut-off.  There was also a report of a Coyote with
a deceased Long-tailed Weasel in its mouth.  We observed 68 species for the
day, and have seen 86 species this year.  Please see eBird report pasted
below.

Until we meet again next week at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook,
happy birding.

Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Jan 25, 2023 7:28 AM - 4:19 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.867 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Overcast with temperatures in the
40’s degree Fahrenheit. A High 15.8ft Tide at 8:37 am and a Low 4.9ft Tide
at 2:49pm.  Mammals seen included Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Eastern
Gray Squirrel, Long-tailed Weasel, Coyote with deceased Long-tailed Weasel
in mouth, and Harbor Seal.
68 species (+5 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  750
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  1
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  25
Northern Shoveler  150
Gadwall  40
Eurasian Wigeon  1
American Wigeon  1000
Mallard  200
Northern Pintail  300
Green-winged Teal  150
Ring-necked Duck  10
Surf Scoter  18
White-winged Scoter  14
Bufflehead  200
Common Goldeneye  50
Hooded Merganser  2
Common Merganser  9
Red-breasted Merganser  30
Ring-necked Pheasant  1
Horned Grebe  8
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3
Virginia Rail  1
American Coot (Red-shielded)  125
Dunlin  100
Least Sandpiper  100
Long-billed Dowitcher  2
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  25
shorebird sp.  1
Short-billed Gull  75
Ring-billed Gull  20
Glaucous-winged Gull  3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  5
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  50
Common Loon  3
Brandt's Cormorant  9
Pelagic Cormorant  1
Double-crested Cormorant  15
Great Blue Heron  20
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  15
Red-tailed Hawk  4
Barred Owl  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  3
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Pileated Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
American Crow  200
Common Raven  3
Black-capped Chickadee  35
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  8
Golden-crowned Kinglet  30
Brown Creeper  6
Pacific Wren  5
Marsh Wren  4
Bewick's Wren  7
European Starling  100
Varied Thrush  1
American Robin  50
Fox Sparrow  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Song Sparrow  25
Lincoln's Sparrow  3
Spotted Towhee  6
Western Meadowlark  4
Red-winged Blackbird  50
Orange-crowned Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  12

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S126939930
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